The relationship of intraocular cytokines to human retinal detachment and proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) was explored in 1988 by directly assaying human specimens for the presence of interleukin 1 (IL-1) and interleukin 2 (IL-2). In 1989, we expanded the project to include a rabbit model of PVR. The intraocular fluids of 18 rabbits in three treatment groups were assayed for the presence of IL-1, IL-2, and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) at various times during the course of PVR. No definite pattern of IL-1 activity was detected; however, both TGF-beta and IL-2 activity appeared to follow a time course related to stage of disease. Increased IL-2 activity was noted in eyes with PVR beginning 3 weeks after induction of the disease. Increased levels of active TGF-beta were noted at about the same time in PVR eyes. These preliminary findings support a physiological role of TGF-beta in PVR and also suggest that a different cytokine with IL-2 activity is involved in the cellular proliferative processes of PVR.